Structural rehabilitation of the cervical lordosis and forward head posture: a selective review of Chiropractic BioPhysics(®) case reports

[Purpose] To characterize the case report evidence of Chiropractic BioPhysics(®) (CBP(®)) technique methods applied to increase cervical lordosis and improve forward head posture. [Methods] The CBP Non-profit website as well as PubMed and Index to Chiropractic literature were searched for case reports/series documenting the increase of cervical lordosis and improvement of forward head posture in the treatment of various craniocervical spinal disorders by CBP technique methods. [Results] Sixty patients were reported in 41 unique manuscripts detailing the improvement in cervical spine alignment by CBP technique methods. On average, there was a 14° improvement in cervical lordosis and a 12 mm reduction in forward head position after 40 treatments over 16 weeks with a 5-point reduction in pain rating scores. Thirty-eight percent of cases included follow-up showing only slight loss of lordosis, but maintenance of pain and disability improvements after an average of 1.5 treatments per month for 1.8 years. [Conclusion] An abundance of reports document improvement in craniocervical and other ailments by CBP methods that increase cervical lordosis. Routine radiographic imaging of the spine is recommended as it is safe and the only current practical method of screening for critical biomechanical biomarkers of sagittal spine alignment.